Machine for dressing and forming ladder-rails



(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. H. MoOULLY.

MACHINE FOR DRESSING AND FORMING LADDER RAILS.

Patented Apr. 19, 1887.

K. PETERS. Photo-Ulhugmphnr. Waahmglon. 54C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Patented Apr. 19, 1887.;

n. PETERS, Pholo-Uthugrapher. Washinginn. n. c.

(No Model.)

J. H. MoOULLY. V MACHINE FOR DRESSING AND FORMING LADDER RAILS.

Lit

UNITED STAT PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. MCCULLY, OF RUMNEY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

MACHINE FOR DRES SING AND FORMING LADDER-RAILS.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 361,436, dated April 19, 1887.

Application filed December '1 1886. Serial No. 220,334. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. MO'OULLY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rumney, in the county of Grafton and State of New Hampshire, have invented a certain new, useful, and Improved Machine for Dressing and Forming Ladder-Rails, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improved means for planing ladder-rails by power after the same have been properly sawed tapering from end to end, the object of the invention being to leave the surfaces of a ladder-rail more even and regular in form and to do the work more rapidly than if done by hand in the elevation of the left-hand frame, in which is mounted an arbor carryingone of the cutterheads for dressing the round side of a ladderrail, and one of the guide-bars and one side of the machine-bed'in cross-section. Fig.

' 5 shows the rear end of the same and a porthe slide-bars, carrying the upper bearings for the arbors of those cutter-heads designed for rounding the corners of a ladder-rail, showing said arbors, cutter-heads, and lower bearings in elevation. Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail view of one of the adjustable bearings used for the cylinder for planing the flat side of a ladderrail.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts. The bed A is preferably formed of iron, composed of vertical sidesand ends and having recesses atvarious points in the former for receiving thejournal-hoXes Z, carrying the bedrolls B.-

The front end of the machine is at the left in Figs. 1 and 2. Here are placed two guiderolls, 0 0, adapted to rotate horizontally upon vertical studs 0 a, mounted one in either slide D D, placed one forward of the other, and having their ends fitted to and resting within slots formed in the vertical sides of bed A. These rolls may be made to accommodate themselves automatically to the varying widths of ladder-rails by means of a spring, D either end of which may be attached to the top of the studs 0 c, which extend high enough for this purpose. Means may also be provided for maintaining these rolls equidistant from the longitudinal center of machine, if desired, by use of a rocker-arm pivoted at its center to a stand supported by the machine-bed A,

underneath said slides D D, one end of which maybe connected by a short rod to the slide D and the other by a similar rod to the slide D.

As illustrated by the mechanism. used in connection with the sliding bars N, the construction may be the same in both cases, the

only difference being that thebars q are in one case pivoted to the bars D D and in the other to the bars N. One set of feedrolls, E, should be placed at either end of the machine-those at the front end being fluted, while those at the rear end are left smooth, and preferably covered with some soft yielding material e so In order that r as not to mar the ladder-rail. the upper as well as the lower of these'rolls may be moved by power, I extend their journals e on one side of the bed A beyond their journal-boxes, and on them mount bevelgears F, which mesh with bevel-gears F, carried upon a vertical shaft, f, the lower end of which is inountedin a hanger, f, bolted to the bed A. The upper of the gears F is fastened rigid to said shaft f, while the lower one is splined thereon, thus permitting a vertical adjustment of the upper feed-roll, E, and the shaft f without interfering with the rotary motion of either roll. These upper rolls, E, and the pressure-rolls E are all mounted in journal-boxes fitted within a vertical opening, 9, formed in either side'of the standards G, and suspended by bolts or otherwise from transverse pieces H, which are hung from the top of the said standards by the central rod, H, the lower end of which is rigidly secured within said piece H, its upper portion passing loosely through the top of the said standard.

The upper feed-roll, E, may be raised or lowered and accommodated to the various sizes ofladder-rails,by turning the hand screws orwheels I, which are threaded to the rod H and bear upon the top of the standards G. Pressure is applied alike to these upper feedrolls, E, and the pressure-rolls E by a spiral spring, 71, placed upon the rod H, and compressed between the under side of the top of the standards G and a hand-wheel, l, threaded to the rod H, near the transverse piece H. By this construction the spiral spring It may be compressed or expanded by moving the wheel 1 up or down, respectively, and thus increase or decrease the pressure of the upper feedrolls or of the pressure-rolls upon a lad der-rail while passing through the machine.

Motion is transmitted to the lower feed-rolls, E, which drive the upper ones, by means of the bevel-gears F F, as shown best in Fig. 3, by a spur-gear, K, mounted on the opposite end of either lower feed-roll journal, 0, and meshing with a spur-pinion, K, mounted on shaft 7.1, running through or underneath the bed A, and driven by an ordinary belt-pulley, 7c.

It may be here mentioned that the bed-rolls are provided with spiral-springs 1) upon their journals, which extend a few inches beyond the machine-bed on either side, said springs bearing between their journal-boxes b and collars b", threaded to the outer ends of said journals, by which the spring-tension may be increased or decreased at will, the purpose of said springs being to allow for lateral movement of said bed-rolls and prevent any unnecessary friction caused by the ladder-rail moving sidewise while passing over said rolls. The journals 0, carrying the pressure-rolls E, may also be provided with the springs b and collars bifor the same purpose.

A rotary cutter-head, L, is provided, of any suitable form which may be best adapted to carry two or four cutters, Z, as in Fig. 2, held at the proper angle to rough off the square corners of a ladder rail before said rail shall reach the rounding-cutters, to be hereinafter described. This cutter-head L is mounted in bearings formed upon a pressure-plate, L, one of itsjournals extending far enough beyond said plate and the machine-bed A to carry a flanged belt-pulley, as seen in Fig. 2, by which it is driven.

The pressureplate L may be slightly curved upward at either end, especially at the front end, as shown, in order that a ladder-rail may more easily pass under it. At either side a projection, l, is formed, as shown in Fig. 2, which is made a moving fit for the slot 9 of one of the standards G, said projection having asmall shoulder at either side, which bears against the inside of the standards G, as also shown in Fig. 2, a portion of said standard being broken out for this purpose, said plate L being adj ustably suspended within said standard in the same manner as are the pressure-rollsviz., by a rod, H, the threaded wheels I I, and spiral spring It.

An ordinary square cutter-head, M, having journals m mounted directly under one of the pressure-rolls and in bearings M, adapted to be vertically adjusted in the machine-bed A by screws on", as clearly shown in Fig. 9, is provided for planing the fiat side of a ladderrail, (said ladder-rail being put through the machine flat side down,) and is driven by the flanged belt-pulley m, the pulley m upon the opposite end of the cylinder -journal being used to drive a counter-shaft, which may be located underneath the machine-bed A, having pulleys from which a belt may pass to each of the pulleys in, driving the feed-rolls. As the manner of belting the machine is not a feature of this invention, no method is shown.

From the cylinder M the ladder-rail passes between two guide-bars, N, supported near their ends by and adapted to slide upon a transverse piece, 12, bolted to either side of the bed. J

Near the forward end of each of the guide-bars a rod, N, is inserted and rigidly secured. This passes outward through two bearings,0,formed upon a frame, 0, bolted to the outside of either side ofthe machi ne-bed A in the position shown in Fig. 2.

A collar or wheel, 0, is threaded to each of the rods N, outside of the outer bearings, O, for regulating either of the guide-bars N one from the other, as required for different widths of ladder-rails, the distance at which they are set apart being about equal to the width of the narrowest end of a given ladder-rail. Then whether the smallest or biggest end enters the machine first the said guide-bars are caused to move away from or toward each other, re-v spectively, by the passage of said ladder-rail between them and the action of the pressuresprings which are placed one upon either of the rods N and bear between either enter bearing, 0, and a tension collar or wheel, 0, one of which is threaded to either of the rods N, for the purpose of varying the tension of said springs. Directly under said rods N a crossbar, Q, is provided and bolted to either side of the bed, as seen in Fig. 1. To this cross-piece, at a point corresponding with the longitudinal center of the bed A, a rockerarm, Q, is pivoted, said pivot being placed midway from either end thereof, each of said ends being provided with a connecting-rod, q, extending one to one of the guide-bars N and the other to the other, and pivotal] y connected thereto for the purpose of causing the said bars N in the movement to and from each other, as previously described, to remain equidistant from the longitudinal center of the bed A.

Two frames, 11, located one on either side of the bed A, are provided, each having suitable bearings at their forward end for carrying one of the arbors of the rounding cutter-heads R, their rear ends being pivoted by a rod, 1',

a little back of the other, as inFig. 2, and thus avoid any liability of contact one with the other.

The frames B may be adjusted, as required, upon the rods r by means of collars r secured by set-screws to said rods. The forward end of either frame R is supported and made to move up and down in unison with the horizontal movement of the guide-bars N by a roll, it, carried on the outside of either of the said guide-bars. provided with a suitable projection,which shall bear Vertically against roll n, as in Fig. 2; or a detachable or adjustable plate, S, may be hung by screws s, threaded to a portion of the said frames, or to the plate S, secured thereto,

in the manner shown in Fig. 4-to wit, by turning the thread off from the extreme end of the screws 8 and forming sockets in the plate S at the proper point to receive this smooth end of said screws. A spring, 8, connecting the guide-bar N with an arm, s, attached to the frame R, insures continuous contact of the plate S and roll a.

An ordinary flanged belt--pulley may be mounted upon theouter end of these arbors, carrying the cutter-heads B. After leaving these cutters R the ladder-rail will have been planed on its fiat and half-round side, and all that then remains to complete the work is to remove the two sharp corners. This is easily and perfectly done by two cutters, one operating against each of the said corners of a ladder-rail. These consist of ordinary square cutter-heads T, provided each with two knives or cutters, it, said cutter-heads being each mounted upon and near the upper end of arbors t.

J ournal-boxes U carry the 'lower ends of said arbors, and these are each pivoted to stands U, secured either to the fioor or some higher support, and enable the said arbors to rock in a direction transversely with the machine-bed, so that the cutters may separate or close upon a ladder-rail,- as hereinafter described. Belt-pulleys a maybe mounted upon said arbors near the journal-boxes U.

The arbors t pass near their upper end I loosely through two slides, V V, placed side by side, one forward of the other, and resting within grooves formed for this purpose in the top of the vertical sides of the machine-bed. These slides carry, respectively, the guide-bars o r.

Just above the cutter-heads T the arbors t are provided with jonrnal'bearings W W,

The'said frames B may be pivotally supported between blocks to w w 20, respectively, by set-screws 10 one of which is threaded to each of the blocks w w w w, and, passing through the same, enter either end of the bearings W W, said blocks being supported and rendered horizontally adjustable upon the guide bars v v by means of setscrews threaded to ears 0 o, of which there are four, respectively, rising vertically from either of said guide-bars. By this construction the arbors may be moved from each other at their top by the movement of a ladder-rail between the cutter'heads T, and also be adjusted relative to the inner surface of the guide-bars v o for regulating the depth of out.

A spring, X, may be connected at either /end to suitable arms, at, extending perpendicularly from either the upper or lower surface of the guide-bars o o, and hence enable the said guide-bars and cutters to hug close to the sides of ladder rails of various widths and stillreturn automatically to their normal position after doing their work. It will perhaps be needless to say that the cutters t, in order to round the corners of a ladder-rail, must be ground concave, as shown, and their lower ends belongest.

' Having described my inventi0n,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In power-driven feeding mechanism, the combination, with an arched standard spanning the machine-bed, of an adjustable yoke or frame carrying the upper feed-roll, arod rigidly fastened thereto and reaching vertically through the bridge of said arched standard, a spring, and means for varying its pressure of said feed-roll upon the work, and a hand-nut threaded to the top of said rod for adjusting said roll to the work, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the bed, of suitable bed-rolls for supporting a ladder-rail, horizontally-adjustable guide-bars separable in a direction transversely with said bed, rotary cutters affixed to arbors mounted in inclined hinged frames located one at either side of said bed, the said hinged frames, a horizontal friction-roll carried upon either of said guidebars, and an adj ustable plate secured to either of said hinged frames and adapted to bear upon said friction-rolls, substantially in the manner and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination, with automatically-adjustable cutters mounted so as to rotate at an angle of about forty-five degrees, and adapted to plane the half-round side of a ladder-rail, of automatically-adj ustable guidebars connected one with the other by means of a rockerarm located at the longitudinal center of the machine-bed, either end being pivoted to a rod connecting with one of said guide-bars, and mechanism whereby the movement ofsaid bars outward and inward shall respectively raise or lower said cutter-heads, for the purpose set forth.

et. .As a means of rounding the edges of the flat side of ladder-rails, horizontallymotative cominodate themselves to the movement of the 10 cutters having arbors mounted at their top in upper ones, for the purpose set forth.

adjustable bearings connected to guide'bars, In testimony whereof I affix my signature in and mechanism whereby said bars are renpresence of two witnesses. 5 dered capable of horizontal automatic adjust- JOHN H MCCULLY mentby the movement of a ladder-rail between the same, a spring for drawing them toward \Vitnesses: each other, and means whereby the lower bearings for said arbors are permitted to ac- J. B. TIIURSTON, Clus. G. REMICK. 

